Psalm Meditation 989
Seventh Sunday of Easter
June 2, 2019
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling
12 kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him.
(NRSV)
Sometimes we learn things that throw off our worldview for the rest of our lives. I was devastated when I discovered that the United States is not the largest nation in world, that my home state of Indiana is not the largest state in the union, and that my dad might not be able to beat up your dad. I was similarly disappointed when I discovered that the nation of Israel was not as powerful as the stories in the Bible indicate. Israel was conquered more often than they conquered their neighbors.
On the one hand, the nations of the world working together to burst the bonds and cast the cords of Israel from them is not very likely. It is possible that most of the nations of the world had not heard of Israel, let alone be concerned about their power and might as a nation. On the other hand, patriotic hyperbole is a normal human tendency. Even if they were not a large powerful nation, there is nothing to keep them from saying so in their own poetry and song.
Though they may not have been much of a force in military might, the God they worshipped has survived countless attacks. Though Israel was not a military powerhouse, the Lord, their God, has become a force to be reckoned with. Though various nations and states have made the attempt to bend the Lord to their will and service, a faithful remnant manages to call the faithful back to the God of the Bible.
May 27, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Monday, May 27, 2019
Monday, May 20, 2019
Psalm Meditation 988
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 26, 2019
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
This psalm seems to pivot on verse ten, “And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”” And to add another layer, this is an interesting reminder that the placement of punctuation makes a difference in the meaning of a sentence, and that one sentence can change the meaning of a whole psalm. Does the psalmist intend to say that ‘God is a source of grief, the right hand of the Most High having changed,’ or is the intent to rejoice that, ‘It is my grief that has been changed by the hand of God?’ I understand that early Hebrew didn’t even leave spaces between words, let alone use punctuation.
I am of the mind that the psalmist is declaring that it is the grief that has been changed by the hand of God. My own experience is that the one who is most changed by prayer is me. My situation may not change at all through prayer, however my attitude and the eyes through which I see the situation can change drastically when I become aware that I am not alone. I am surrounded by God as well as by the people of God. The people of God lift me up and their concern changes them, their concern for me, changes me, our changes open a whole new relationship as we are drawn more deeply into a life in God. When I know that I am being lifted in prayer, my burden is lighter and I am more free to be in prayer for others.
Once we see God at work in our lives, we are able to turn our attention to the good things that God has done. As we notice that God has been active in the past, we can look forward to the pattern of good things continuing even if we are currently in the middle of an intense trial at this moment. We are reminded that God is at work in the world, in the lives of those who are in the world, and in phenomena beyond our ability to understand. As we are able, we look around to see ourselves surrounded by a community, a family, moving in concert with the will of God.
May 20, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 26, 2019
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
This psalm seems to pivot on verse ten, “And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”” And to add another layer, this is an interesting reminder that the placement of punctuation makes a difference in the meaning of a sentence, and that one sentence can change the meaning of a whole psalm. Does the psalmist intend to say that ‘God is a source of grief, the right hand of the Most High having changed,’ or is the intent to rejoice that, ‘It is my grief that has been changed by the hand of God?’ I understand that early Hebrew didn’t even leave spaces between words, let alone use punctuation.
I am of the mind that the psalmist is declaring that it is the grief that has been changed by the hand of God. My own experience is that the one who is most changed by prayer is me. My situation may not change at all through prayer, however my attitude and the eyes through which I see the situation can change drastically when I become aware that I am not alone. I am surrounded by God as well as by the people of God. The people of God lift me up and their concern changes them, their concern for me, changes me, our changes open a whole new relationship as we are drawn more deeply into a life in God. When I know that I am being lifted in prayer, my burden is lighter and I am more free to be in prayer for others.
Once we see God at work in our lives, we are able to turn our attention to the good things that God has done. As we notice that God has been active in the past, we can look forward to the pattern of good things continuing even if we are currently in the middle of an intense trial at this moment. We are reminded that God is at work in the world, in the lives of those who are in the world, and in phenomena beyond our ability to understand. As we are able, we look around to see ourselves surrounded by a community, a family, moving in concert with the will of God.
May 20, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Psalm Meditation 987
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 19, 2019
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
(NRSV)
A friend from seminary days told me that he and his floor mates were a regular source of trouble for their residence assistant. Things seemed to happen on campus in a way that implicated this particular floor. To add to the trouble, they would alternate confession and denial as a whole. For one event, they would discreetly go to the RA one at a time and deny that they had anything to do with it. The next time they would confess one at a time, ‘I did it, all by myself, no one helped me, I bear total responsibility.’ When everyone denies responsibility, it makes solving the issue more difficult. When everyone claims sole responsibility, it becomes just as complicated. It is hard to know who is a fault and who is innocent.
The psalmist is willing to confess transgressions and sins against God and hopes to receive forgiveness for all of these sins. He psalmist is not only willing to confess personal sins there is a companion willingness to confess to being most recent in a line of sinful people. The psalmist wants to be cleansed, purified, and made whole in body and spirit. In return for this healing and restoration the psalmist pledges a willingness to teach others to live in the way that leads to the same healing and wholeness the psalmist hopes to receive. If all of this good stuff happens, all will be right with the world, including a renewed delight in sacrifice offered to God.
Like the dorm residents, some of us will confess to anything and everything, because we know that we are guilty of something that requires confession, repentance, and probably punishment of some kind. Others will find a way within themselves to justify their actions as appropriate and defensible, even in the presence of God. Most of us are an interesting mix of guilt and denial, claiming some guilt beyond our responsibility and ignoring or justifying other transgressions as having done the right thing even though everyone else made it go wrong. The important part, beyond our overdeveloped senses of guilt and innocence, is pointing ourselves and others to God as best we can.
May 14, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 19, 2019
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
(NRSV)
A friend from seminary days told me that he and his floor mates were a regular source of trouble for their residence assistant. Things seemed to happen on campus in a way that implicated this particular floor. To add to the trouble, they would alternate confession and denial as a whole. For one event, they would discreetly go to the RA one at a time and deny that they had anything to do with it. The next time they would confess one at a time, ‘I did it, all by myself, no one helped me, I bear total responsibility.’ When everyone denies responsibility, it makes solving the issue more difficult. When everyone claims sole responsibility, it becomes just as complicated. It is hard to know who is a fault and who is innocent.
The psalmist is willing to confess transgressions and sins against God and hopes to receive forgiveness for all of these sins. He psalmist is not only willing to confess personal sins there is a companion willingness to confess to being most recent in a line of sinful people. The psalmist wants to be cleansed, purified, and made whole in body and spirit. In return for this healing and restoration the psalmist pledges a willingness to teach others to live in the way that leads to the same healing and wholeness the psalmist hopes to receive. If all of this good stuff happens, all will be right with the world, including a renewed delight in sacrifice offered to God.
Like the dorm residents, some of us will confess to anything and everything, because we know that we are guilty of something that requires confession, repentance, and probably punishment of some kind. Others will find a way within themselves to justify their actions as appropriate and defensible, even in the presence of God. Most of us are an interesting mix of guilt and denial, claiming some guilt beyond our responsibility and ignoring or justifying other transgressions as having done the right thing even though everyone else made it go wrong. The important part, beyond our overdeveloped senses of guilt and innocence, is pointing ourselves and others to God as best we can.
May 14, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Psalm Meditation 986
Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2019
Psalm 126
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(NRSV)
There are events in our lives that do more for us than would appear possible from the outside. Not only is there a restoration of something we can point to, something we can hold in our hands, there is a renewal of our faith; our faith in God and our faith in those around us. At least our faith in God is renewed and that gives us time to find renewal of faith in those, most of those, around us. Those events lead us to rejoice in ways that are broader and deeper than we are usually ready to express.
We may express our rejoicing in external ways, including the laughter and shouting the psalmist lifts up. We may express joy in dancing and jumping around. And we may express our joy internally, in a way that comes really close to popping out of our skin. In whatever way we express our joy, we know that God has had a hand in it, and we are quick to acknowledge that God has done great things for us.
When our lives change for the better, whether the change occurs in a moment, or a season, we can give thanks to God for the change of fortune. Some will see the change as something deserved that has finally been delivered, some will see the change as the product of hard work produced by personal effort, some will see the change as a gift from God. Those who see God at work may have put in a lot of effort and still give the bulk of the credit to God. “The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.”
May 7, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2019
Psalm 126
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(NRSV)
There are events in our lives that do more for us than would appear possible from the outside. Not only is there a restoration of something we can point to, something we can hold in our hands, there is a renewal of our faith; our faith in God and our faith in those around us. At least our faith in God is renewed and that gives us time to find renewal of faith in those, most of those, around us. Those events lead us to rejoice in ways that are broader and deeper than we are usually ready to express.
We may express our rejoicing in external ways, including the laughter and shouting the psalmist lifts up. We may express joy in dancing and jumping around. And we may express our joy internally, in a way that comes really close to popping out of our skin. In whatever way we express our joy, we know that God has had a hand in it, and we are quick to acknowledge that God has done great things for us.
When our lives change for the better, whether the change occurs in a moment, or a season, we can give thanks to God for the change of fortune. Some will see the change as something deserved that has finally been delivered, some will see the change as the product of hard work produced by personal effort, some will see the change as a gift from God. Those who see God at work may have put in a lot of effort and still give the bulk of the credit to God. “The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.”
May 7, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
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